(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a closure system for a fluid hydration system adaptor for converting a typical sports bottle or other hydration container to a quick fill fluid hydration system for bicycle riding. Although described herein as a bicycle hydration system, it may be used in relation to any other conveyance and on any suitable fluid container. More specifically, this invention relates to an closure for a fluid container which permits rapid introduction of fluid into typical water bottles or other fluid containers using a closable intake port, which may temporarily secure the fluid source in the intake port, or which be poured in to the adaptor. An alternate apparatus is included in the intake port which and prevents fluid from splashing or leaking out of the intake port when the intake port is disposed at significant angles from horizontal.
(2) Description of Related Art
There are numerous examples of related art as typified by the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,920,899 issued Jul. 26, 2005, issued to Haenlein et al, entitled: FLUID CONTROL VALVE shows a fluid control valve for controlling the delivery of water and includes a control lever attached to a spherical ball that is movable in two directions by rotation of the lever about two independent axes. No fluid flow appears to pass through the ball. The fluid control valve instead includes a separate valve body assembly with flow passageways and a housing assembly attached to the valve body assembly to define an interior space while the present invention requires flow through the spherical ball
U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,636, issued Jan. 6, 1976 to, Pugh entitled: BALL VALVES shows a Ball Valve which is described as having a passage through the ball and further that as shown in the drawing, the ball valve comprises a valve housing 1 having a bore 2 in which a ball 3 is located. The ball has a flow passage 4 there through and is rotatable about a vertical axis by a spindle 5 to open and close the valve. At each side of the ball, the ball engages a correspondingly shaped end face 6 of a seat engaging ring 7, which may be made from plastics material, for example Polytetrafluoroethylene, and which is located in a recess 8 formed by a counter-bore in the bore 2. It is not clear from this patent as to how the device operates or where the end of the passage is.
At best this patent describes a passage through the ball of a control valve which can be found in any hardware store. However, there is no indication of the structure of the current invention for receiving fluids into a container from other containers and sources and then releasable sealing the intake port.